With the recent successful release of the Android app and the already wildly popular iOS version, you won’t see those square pics with the various filters disappear anytime soon. Especially now that Facebook has paid a billion bucks for it. What does it mean for this world of rap though? Well, plenty of artists have already wholeheartedly adopted the photo-sharing social network. Here’s 10 profiles you might wanna take a peek at.
Bun B (trillog)
This half of the legendary Underground Kingz is no stranger to social media. A highly involved and approachable artist, Bun Beata uses Instagram similarly to Twitter and grants fellow users a peek into his life day to day. A lot of gear to drool over for hip-hop fashion aficionados and sneaker heads, but also shots from traveling around the country and sharing the sights.
DJ Green Lantern (djgreenlantern)
Hosting a show on Sirius Radio, where plenty of guests stop by, spinning DJ-sets around the globe and rocking ill equipment in studios everywhere offers plenty opportunity for cool pics. Those semi-vintage filters Instagram packs work wonders on a cool shot of some genuinely timeless studio tools.
Pharoahe Monch (warmonkey)
Instagram often gets critiqued by photography buffs; the filters make it far too easy, the effects are generic and who wants to see a never-ending torrent of cat pictures from around the world? Well, Pharoahe doesn’t exactly take the easy way. He seems to sake interesting ways to frame what he sees around him, like this Empire State view, that just manages to catch Bob Dylan poster in the interior. Don’t tell me that doesn’t look cool.
Action Bronson (actionbronson)
Bronsolino shares exactly the type of pics you’d expect based on his rhymes; food, weed and women (sometimes NSFW). Pics like these though, his most recent one, are the cherries among the crop. I wanna hear that song, yesterday.
Nas (nasnyc)
Similar to his Twitter, Nas chooses to use this social media tool more to share things in his professional than personal life. Lots of aesthetically pleasing photos from behind the scenes of his latest video shoot, the occasional throwback pic and shots from studio sessions working with Swizz Beats and Large Professor.
Freeway (phillyfreeway)
There’s a loooootta photos shot with the front-facing camera on Freeza’s stream, mostly of him and homies ice-grilling or showing off a dope new tee. Pretty standard fare for a rapper, but Freeway has one thing you don’t see with those other rappers: the illest beard in the game, right Em?
Just Blaze (justblaze)
Of course Just Blaze is on Instagram, he was probably there first. Being an early adopter in nearly every interesting new gadget app, or technology, he quickly mastered this one as well. And him being a bit of a geek as well, you can expect great shots like Transformers toys standing on top of a mixing board. Seriously, thats’s Devastator in front of a mixing panel with a Cobra insignia on the studio speakers. If you don’t think that’s awesome I’m afraid you’re just a very boring person.
Freddie Gibbs (freddiegibbs)
Freddie Gibbs is an Instagram user that’ll keep you posted on some interesting touring news with his shots. Besides shooting pics that make the authorities sweat there’s also insightful commentary on the NBA as seen up above. Gangsta Gibbs, ho.
Joe Budden (joebudden)
Joe Budden also gets to work with the front-facing camera on more than one occasion. Besides that, there’s pics from the stage, screenshots of text messages, and being the sharing person that he is, a lot of female eye candy he comes across in life. For you lonely dudes out there.
Evidence (mrevidence)
There’s only one absolute king of the camera in this world of rap though: Dilated Peoples emcee Evidence. If you’ve never seen his photographs you might be mistaken in thinking the line “Director of photography, I shoot people” on It Wasn’t Me from his last album was just a play on words, but this guy shoots some seriously good pics. The way he frames train yards, bridges, street crossings, or everything else he comes across and shoots a pic, makes it look fantastic. Ev seems to have a great eye for detail and spotting the beauty in everyday life. It doesn’t hurt that many of his pics are helped by the best lighting there is: the sun. A source his hometown of LA sees plenty of. This guy needs to shoot the artwork for his next album, or at least his mix tape, himself. It’s surely good enough.
Wanna take a crack at it yourself or follow these guys? You can download Instagram for Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android for free. Already on there and want to share your tips on who to follow? Hit the comments to holla at jaapd on Instagram.
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